Where a welder performs gas tungsten arc welding, one of the welder's hands commonly holds an electrode receptacle which has a pointed tungsten electrode protruding therefrom, such receptacle having an electrically conductive insulated wire leading thereto. The other end of the wire is connected to a voltage source, which is electrically connected to an electrically conductive metal workpiece. The voltage source induces an electrical potential difference between the tungsten electrode and the metal workpiece. When the tungsten electrode is brought into close proximity with the metal workpiece, electric arcing occurs, resulting in heating of the metal. In order to prevent oxidation of the metal while heating occurs through electric arcing, the electrode receptacle held by the welder simultaneously causes an inert gas such as helium to flow over the heated area.
The heating of the metal workpiece and the prevention of oxidation facilitates welding. Typically, the welder holds a metal welding rod in the welder's other hand. The end of the welding rod is inserted into close proximity with the heated area of the work piece, causing the metal of the workpiece and the metal of the welding rod to comingle in a molten metal pool. Such a molten metal pool may be caused to traverse seams, cracks, joints and the like in the metal workpiece resulting in fusion or welding.
Oxyacetylene welding involves a similar process in which one of the welder's hands holds a blow torch which mixes at the point of burning oxygen and acetylene gas. The flame of an oxyacetylene torch heats a metal workpiece while the welder introduces a metal welding rod into close proximity with the heated area. As in gas tungsten arc welding, cracks, fisures, joints and the like in the metal workpiece are fused through pooling of molten comingled metal from the welding rod and the metal workpiece.
In both gas tungsten arc welding and in oxyacetylene welding, the welder typically has a heavy gloves covering the welder's hands. Gloves are worn to prevent flying molten metal from burning the welder's hands. When arc welding is performed, gloves help insulate the welder's hands from electric current flowing through the electrode or the welding wire. Wearing such heavy gloves makes it difficult for a welder to manipulate a metal welding rod which typically is less than one-eighth inch in diameter. Ideally, the welding rod extends eight to ten inches from the welder's left hand to the workpiece. However, progression of welding uses up and shortens the welding rod, causing a need for repeated extensions of the welding rod through the welder's gloved hand toward the workpiece. It is difficult for a welder's gloved hand to extend a welding rod as an ungloved hand might extend a pencil. It is also inconvenient to tilt the welding rod to allow gravity to draw the rod through the fingers of the gloved hand. It is also inconvenient for the welder to release the electrode or torch held by the welder's right hand in order to use the right hand to extend the welding rod through the welder's left hand. It is also inconvenient to allow the tip of the welding rod to temporarily fuse to the workpiece to allow the left hand to be drawn upward along the welding rod. Also, additional electrical insulation between the welding rod and the welder's hand is often desireable. These inconveniences give rise to a need for an apparatus to be held in a welder's gloved hand for holding, directing and extending a welding wire, and providing additional electrical insulation between the welder's hand and the welding wire.